Murder in the Pacific is a gripping three-part series that tells the astonishing story of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior and the bombing that sank it in Auckland harbour killing a crew member. The series will be released as a box set on BBC iPlayer and will air on BBC Two in February.

Recounted by the Warrior’s crew of Greenpeace activists, the police investigators tasked with solving the crime and the bombers themselves, the story unfolds like a crime thriller.

Piecing together the extraordinary events leading up to that fateful night, the series unravels the astounding twists, turns and bizarre events that led to the indictment of the French Government and their Secret Service and fuelled the debate around nuclear weapons testing.

With environmental activism regularly making headlines and nuclear weapons back in the spotlight, this examination of how far powerful governments will go to protect their interests has never felt more timely.

Q&A with Executive Producer Caroline Hawkins (CH) and Director Chloe Campbell (CC)

What is the series about?

CH: Murder in the Pacific is a cinematic three-part documentary series that tells the story of the bombing of the Greenpeace ship ‘Rainbow Warrior’ in 1985. Unfolding like a crime thriller it unravels the events leading up to the attack and the international scandal that ensued; leading to the indictment of a European Government and the launch of a small environmental group onto the world stage.

Why do you think it’s important to tell the story of the Rainbow Warrior now?

CH: At a time when the use of nuclear weapons is once again being threatened and the planet is facing unprecedented environmental pressure, it is important to reflect on historic and current government responses to peaceful protest and activism.

The series unfolds like a crime thriller and for the first time on TV it provides a detailed recount of events surrounding the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior. Why people should watch the series and what do you hope the viewers will take away from it?

CH: A generation has grown up knowing little about the devastating effects of the West’s nuclear weapons-testing programmes that took place throughout the Cold War. Many are also unaware of the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior and the campaigns of Greenpeace activists during the 1980’s. A small group of impassioned individuals inspired the large environmental movements we know today.

We hope that viewers will see that environmentalism goes beyond politics and is a force for good. That governments must be accountable for their actions and that history always has lessons to teach us.

Any revelations that came to light while making the series you found particularly powerful?

CC: Speaking to people on both sides of this tragedy, we were struck by the similarity in spirit between the victims and the people who carried out the plot. They were all young people seeking adventure and wanting to change the world for the better.

Any challenges to make the series?

CC: Our filming coincided with New Zealand’s Covid lockdown. No-one was allowed in or out of the country for months so we hired local camera crew and producers and explained to them the precise lighting set-ups we needed for consistency with what we were filming in Europe. A hi-speed internet connection and a strategically-placed screen allowed Chloe Campbell, the director, to be in the room with the interviewees, albeit virtually. With a thirteen hour time difference it meant working in the middle of the night but she was able to conduct the interviews herself.